Hypodermic needle



March 14, 1967 v. D. DE LUCA 3,308,822

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE Filed April 2, 1964 INVENTOR. VINCENT D. DELUIZA ATTL'IRNEY? United States Patent Oflfice 3,338,822 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,303,822 HYPODERMIC NEEDLE Vincent D. De Luca, Woodbury, Conn., assignor by mesne assignments, to Loretta Fontano, Woodbury, Conn.

Filed Apr. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 356,845 4 Claims. (Cl. 128221) This invention relates to a hypodermic needle, and has for its object to provide a needle of this character having an improved skin piercing point, whereby the penetration force is greatly reduced, thereby minimizing the pain incident to injection, and whereby immediately following initial penetration the skin and underlying flesh is cleanly cut along three substantially straight lines radiating from the initial piercing point substantially in the form of the letter Y. It has been found that with a cut of this form three substantially V-shaped flaps are formed within the angles of the Y-shaped cut, the free angular edges of these flaps being such that they are capable of extension into the circular form of the opening in the skin which ensues, following penetration by the cylindrical outer surface of the needle, without excessive stretching or tensioning of the edges of the cut. Thus skin resistance is substantially eliminated permitting an anti-coring entry of the needle into the bloodstream. It has also been found that following withdrawal of the needle the cleanly cut edges of the skin and underlying flesh readily come together in substantially Y-form, enabling rapid healing without any appreciable visible scar and without leaving a puncture mark such as is produced by the conventional hypodermic needle.

It is particularly proposed to provide a novel arrangement whereby a sharply pointed initial piercing point is disposed at a relatively high point with respect to the outer cylindrical surface of the needle substantially contiguous to its inner cylindrical surface, wherein a central cutting edge extends rearwardly from the piercing point to the outer surface of the needle and is disposed in a vertical plane at a relatively high cutting angle for producing the vertical leg of the Y-shaped cut, and wherein outwardly flaring cutting edges extend rearwardly and upwardly from the piercing point for producing the flared legs of the Y-shaped cut extending rearwardly from the top of the vertical leg.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hypodermic needle according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the tip end of the hypodermic needle cannula showing the first grind produced in the formation of the skin penetrating point;

FIG. 3 is a front end view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing the second grind and indicating in dotted lines the material removed by the second grind;

FIG. 5 is a front end view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing the form of the point following the third grind;

FIG. 7 is a front end view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing the point in its finished form following the fourth and fifth grinds, the

dot-and-dash lines indicating the material removed therey;

FIG. 9 is a front end view thereof;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view point as seen in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a section of skin showing the form of the initial piercing cut produced by injection of the needle to the point indicated by the line A in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a similar view showing the form of the cut produced by penetration of the needle to the point indicated by the line B in FIG. 10.

Referring to the drawings the hypodermic needle, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated therein, comprises a cylindrical cannula 10 preferably formed of suitable material such as stainless steel and provided at its rearward end with a nipple or ferrule 11 brazed or otherwise suitably secured thereto for the attachment of the needle in the conventional manner to a syringe or the like.

The needle point according to the invention has five faces produced by a series of five grinds, the first grind producing an inclined forward face 12. This face is preferably at an angle of approximately 11 to 13 to the longitudinal axis of the cannula and is produced 'by the periphery of a large diameter circular grinding wheel which, in the case of a needle cannula having an CD. of approximately .059 for example, is of the order of about 12" in diameter. The face 12 consequently has a very slight concave curvature between its ends.

The second grind produces a planarbevel face 13 which, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, is disposed at a sharp angle to the longitudinal axis of the cannula and at an obtuse angle to the inclined forward face 12. The angle relative to the longitudinal axis is such, 12 for example, that the plane of the face 13 cuts across the forward open end of the lumen 14 of the cannula from an intermediate point of its side edge coinciding with its horizontal diametric plane to the center point of its forward end coinciding with its vertical diametric plane. As is clear from FIG. 4 the planar face 13 meets the forward inclined face 12 along-an edge line 15 at an obtuse angle thereto,

The third grind produces a planar bevel face 16 which is a mirror image of the planar face 13 and cuts across the opposite side of the lumen intersecting the planar bevel face 13 along an edge line 17 which, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, extends in a vertical plane at a forward angle of approximately 20 from the forward center point of the lumen to the outer surface of the cannula. The planar face 16 intersects the front face 12 along an edge line 18 in similar manner to the edge line 15 and the two planar faces 13 and 16 intersect the lumen along respective curved edge lines 19 and 20. As seen in FIG. 7 looking head-on at the forward end of the needle, the edge lines 15 and 18 form an angle of approximately The fourth and fifth grinds produce planar bevel faces 21 and 22 disposed at relatively sharp angles, for example 18 to the longitudinal axis of the cannula, and which intersect the second and third bevel faces 13 and 16 at acute angles thereto along edge lines 23 and 24 slightly outwardly of the curved edge lines 19 and 20 and intersect each other along an edge line 25 disposed in a vertical plane inclined at a relatively sharp angle, approximately 25 for example, extending rearwardly from a point along the edge line 17 slightly forward of the lumen surface to the outer surface of the cannula. The included angle formed by the bevel faces 21 and 22 in planes normal to the longitudinal axis of the cannula and inof the completed tersecting the edge line 25, for example in the plane represented by the line A in FIG. 10, is approximately 60. Thus sharp cutting edges are provided along the edge lines 25, 23 and 24 which, as seen in FIG. 9, present a substantially Y-shaped form as seen looking headon at the forward end of the needle.

It will be noted that the tip end of the needle is in the form of an extremely sharp four-sided spear point defined by the forwardly convergent edge lines 17, 23, 24 and 25 and disposed at a relatively high point with respect to the outer surface of the cannula substantially contigous to the lumen. This spear point will pierce the skin with a minimum of resistance and immediately following the initial penetration of the skin the three sharp cutting edges 23, 24 and 25 come into play to cut the skin and underlying flesh in the form of a Y-shaped cut including a vertical leg produced by the cutting edges 25 and a pair of upwardly inclined arms produced by the cutting edges 23 and 24-. At the point of penetration indicated by the line A in FIG. the cut in the skin is substantially Y- shaped as shown in FIG. 12. and at the point of penetration indicated by the line B the three radial lines of the out are extended as shown in FIG. 13. The Y-shaped cut thus produces three meeting flaps having substantially V-shaped free edges, and. these flaps permit of elongation between the outer extremities of the three cuts with minimum tension along the cut edges. Consequently, as the needle is inserted beyond the rearward end or heel of the forward open end of the lumen, the cut edge passing over such open end is relaxed and substantially free of tension so that coring is prevented. The possibility of cored particles of skin or flesh entering the bloodstream is thus effectually eliminated. It has been found that following withdrawal of the needle the cut edges resume their Y-shaped form and this lends to the rapid healing without producing any appreciable visible scar or puncture mark.

What is claimed is:

1. A hypodermic needle comprising a cannula having an axially extending lumen, said cannula having a pointed tip and including an inclined forward face providing an inclined forward open end to the lumen, a first pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces meeting said forward face at obtuse angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent edge lines and cutting across the open end of the lumen from intermediate points of its side edges to the center point of its forward end, said bevel faces intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with the vertical diametric plane of said cannula and extending forwardly from the forward end of the lumen at an outward angle thereto, and a second pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces intersecting said first pair of bevel faces at acute angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent upwardly inclined sharp cutting edges and intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with said vertical diametric plane and inclined rearwardly from said first central edge line to the outer cannula surface to form a sharp cutting edge.

2. A hypodermic needle comprising a cannula having an axially extending lumen, said cannula having a pointed tip and including an inclined forward face providing an inclined forward open end to the lumen, a first pair of forwardly convergent 'bevel faces meeting said forward face at obtuse angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent edge lines and cutting across the open end of the lumen from intermediate points of its side edges to the center point of its forward end, said bevel faces intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with the vertical diametric plane of said cannula and extending forwardly from the forward end of the lumen at an outward angle thereto, and a second pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces intersecting said first pair of bevel faces at acute angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent upwardly inclined sharp cutting edges disposed for their full length in outwardly spaced relation to the open end of said lumen and intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with said vertical diametric plane and inclined rearwardly from said first central edge line to the outer cannula surface to form a sharp cutting edge.

3. A hypodermic needle comprising a cannula having an axially extending lumen, said cannula having a pointed tip and including an inclined forward face providing an inclined forward open end to the lumen, a first pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces meeting said forward face at obtuse angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent edge lines and cutting across the open end of the lumen from intermediate points of its side edges coinciding with the horizontal diametric plane of said cannula to the center point of its forward end, said bevel faces intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with the vertical diametric plane of said cannula and extending forwardly from the forward end of the lumen at an outward angle thereto, and a second pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces intersecting said first pair of bevel faces at acute angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent upwardly inclined sharp cutting edges and intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with said vertical diametric plane and inclined rearwardly from said first central edge line to the outer cannula surface to form a sharp cutting edge.

4. A hypodermic needle comprising a cannula having an axially extending lumen, said cannula having a pointed tip and including an inclined forward face providing an inclined forward open end to the lumen, a first pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces meeting said forward face at obtuse angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent edge lines and cutting across the open end of the lumen from intermediate points of its side edges coinciding with the horizontal diametric plane of said cannula to the center point of its forward end, said bevel faces intersecting each other along a central edge line coinciding with the vertical diametric plane of said cannula and extending forwardly from the forward end of the lumen at an outward angle thereto, and a second pair of forwardly convergent bevel faces intersecting said first pair of bevel faces, at acute angles thereto to form rearwardly divergent upwardly inclined sharp cutting edges disposed for their full length in outwardly spaced relation to the open end of said lumen and intersecting each other along a central edge iine coinciding with said vertical diametric plane and inclined rearwardly from said first central edge line to the outer cannula surface to form a sharp cutting edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,979 10/1946 Huber 12s 221 2,560,162 7/1951 Ferguson 12s 221 ROBERT E, MORGAN, Acting Primary Examiner, 

1. A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE COMPRISING A CANNULA HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING LUMEN, SAID CANNULA HAVING A POINTED TIP AND INCLUDING AN INCLINED FORWARD FACE PROVIDING AN INCLINED FORWARD OPEN END TO THE LUMEN, A FIRST PAIR OF FORWARDLY CONVERGENT BEVEL FACES MEETING SAID FORWARD FACE AT OBTUSE ANGLES THERETO TO FORM REARWARDLY DIVERGENT EDGE LINES AND CUTTING ACROSS THE OPEN END OF THE LUMEN FROM INTERMEDIATE POINTS OF ITS SIDE EDGES TO THE CENTER POINT OF ITS FORWARD END, SAID BEVEL FACES INTERSECTING EACH OTHER ALONG A CENTRAL EDGE LINE COINCIDING WITH THE VERTICAL DIAMETRIC PLANE OF SAID CANNULA AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD END OF THE LUMEN AT AN OUTWARD ANGLE THERETO, AND A SECOND PAIR OF FORWARDLY CONVERGENT BEVEL FACES INTERSECTING SAID FIRST PAIR OF BEVEL FACES AT ACUTE ANGLES THERETO TO FORM REARWARDLY DIVERGENT UPWARDLY INCLINED SHARP CUTTING EDGES AND INTERSECTING EACH OTHER ALONG A CENTRAL EDGE LINE COINCIDING WITH SAID VERTICAL DIAMETRIC PLANE AND INCLINED REARWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST CENTRAL EDGE LINE TO THE OUTER CANNULA SURFACE TO FORM A SHARP CUTTING EDGE. 